netTrekker Blog

“I LOVE netTrekker!”

 

As I go to different conferences and talk to educators and administrators I hear this sentiment A LOT. 

Why do people get so excited and passionate about netTrekker? 

Do you ever hear someone say “I LOVE Microsoft Excel”?  No, I don’t think so.  Yet, Excel and spreadsheets are also tools that students must master in order to be considered digitally literate in today’s world.  Educators know this…yet somehow they do not exhibit the same level of passion for a tool such as Excel as they do for netTrekker.

So…..why is that?  When I was in the classroom there was a lot of FEAR surrounding the use of the internet and online resources.  What would students find?  How could those resources harm them?  How could they harm me and my reputation as a professional and an educator?  This FEAR keeps many educators from using online resources at all – resources that are crucial to utilize and encourage students to seek out in order to achieve success.

netTrekker alleviates FEAR. 

• Fear of using online resources
• Fear of not appearing to have mastery of the internet
• And mostly fear of being responsible for something harmful being experienced in the classroom. 

I left the classroom to come and work with netTrekker and educators because I am so passionate about what a great solution it is.  I continue to be amazed at the wonderful reaction that educators have to netTrekker and all the features that I show them.

I love it! netTrekker makes it so much easier to search for mathematicians and other subjects. Using netTrekker, we can narrow down searches easier, and I don’t have to worry about my students pulling up inappropriate material when they search!

                                   Heather Plaisance, Killeen ISD, TX, teacher

As we continue on the path that takes our children from digital natives to digitally literate and Web 2.0 savvy citizens we must fight that FEAR of the unknown.  Embracing solutions that offer the rich wealth of online resources without the “dark side” of the web creates stepping stones along this path.  I’ve come to love the new term I am hearing on the digital airwaves…..”walled gardens”.  These safe and relevant enclaves create the much needed opportunities to experience the online world without giving educators or students anything to FEAR. And that’s exactly what netTrekker provides.

Tags: fear, safe resources, walled gardens

netTrekker Hits the Hill

This week was an exciting one for the future of educational technology.  “The Future of Learning: How Technology is Transforming Public Schools,” the first in a series of Congressional hearings, was held on Capitol Hill to showcase the role that technology plays in improving education and student achievement.  Those of you who work with students every day are well aware, I’m sure, of the powerful impact technology has – especially when it comes to engaging students in the learning process.  And when they’re engaged – they learn, right?  Aren’t we all more active participants in whatever we’re doing or learning when we truly feel connected and engaged.  Technology is that key to making a connection with today’s digital students – and this was a great opportunity to get these points across loud and clear (we hope!) to policymakers and education leaders.

The hearing was followed by the “Bringing the Future of Learning to Schools Today” showcase where the policymakers and education leaders were able to see first hand how technology is transforming education.  They heard from educators and students about how technology is helping them in their classrooms every day.  And, companies who are dedicated to the mission of helping every student achieve with technology were also able to demonstrate what their solutions are doing to support students. netTrekker was honored to be invited to participate in this event and to share how we’re working to use technology and digital resources to support differentiated instruction to help every student learn.

This video from the hearing explains what Delaware is doing with technology and why it’s so important to keep educational technology as a top priority in improving education.

If you had the chance to speak with these important decision makers on Capitol Hill, what would you tell them about why technology in education is so important?

Tags: Capitol Hill, congress, educational technology, netTrekker

Wanted: netTrekker teachers and media specialists…

We need your help.

Tell us what you think about netTrekker images, video and audio resources in this very brief survey.

Your feedback will help guide improvements we make to netTrekker.

Thanks in advance!

Freebies for Attending a Free Webinar!

Sound too good to be true?  Not so.  We are so convinced that you must see The Power of My Portfolio in netTrekker that we’re pulling out all of the stops to get you to attend.

Learn how to create a project-based lesson plan and how to manage your web-based resources all within netTrekker’s My Portfolio.  Sound too good to be true?  Not so, I say.  We’ll show you how.  Go to netTrekker Village to see the dates and how to register.

And just what do I get, you ask?  Once you’ve attended, we send 50 netTrekker Quick Reference Guides, 5 netTrekker posters, a sample project and 10% off of any Professional Development you purchase before June 30th.  Better hurry!  The webinars are filling up quickly!